royal
Americanadjective
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of or relating to a king, queen, or other sovereign.
royal power; a royal palace.
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descended from or related to a king or line of kings.
a royal prince.
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noting or having the rank of a king or queen.
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established or chartered by or existing under the patronage of a sovereign.
a royal society.
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(initial capital letter) serving or subject to a king, queen, or other sovereign.
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proceeding from or performed by a sovereign.
a royal warrant.
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appropriate to or befitting a sovereign; magnificent; stately.
royal splendor.
- Synonyms:
- majestic
- Antonyms:
- servile
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(usually initial capital letter) in the service of the monarch or of the Commonwealth.
Royal Marines; Royal Air Force.
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fine; excellent.
in royal spirits.
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Informal. extreme or persistent; unmitigated.
a royal nuisance; a royal pain.
noun
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Nautical. a sail set on a royal mast.
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Informal. a royal person; member of the royalty.
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Chiefly British. Usually royals. a member of England's royal family.
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a size of printing paper, 20 × 25 inches (51 × 64 centimeters).
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a size of writing paper, 19 × 24 inches (48 × 61 centimeters).
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Numismatics. any of various former coins, as the real or ryal.
adjective
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of, relating to, or befitting a king, queen, or other monarch; regal
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(prenominal; often capital) established, chartered by, under the patronage or in the service of royalty
the Royal Society of St George
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being a member of a royal family
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above the usual or normal in standing, size, quality, etc
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informal unusually good or impressive; first-rate
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nautical just above the topgallant (in the phrase royal mast )
noun
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informal (sometimes capital) a member of a royal family
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Also called: royal stag. a stag with antlers having 12 or more branches
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nautical a sail set next above the topgallant, on a royal mast
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a size of printing paper, 20 by 25 inches
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Also called: small royal. a size of writing paper, 19 by 24 inches
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any of various book sizes, esp 6 1/ 4 by 10 inches ( royal octavo ), 6 3/ 4 by 10 1/ 4 inches ( super royal octavo ), and (chiefly Brit) 10 by 12 1/ 2 inches ( royal quarto ) and 10 1/ 4 by 13 1/ 2 inches ( super royal quarto )
Related Words
See kingly.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of royal
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin rēgālis “kingly,” equivalent to rēg- (stem of rēx ) “king” + -ālis adjective suffix; see regal 1, -al 1
Explanation
Your highness! Anything royal has to do with a king or queen. The official announcement a queen makes is a royal declaration. Unofficially, royal can mean fit for a king or queen, like a royal welcome with cake and balloons. Queen Elizabeth's corgis could be called the royal dogs, and the people who work at Buckingham Palace are the royal staff. Queen Elizabeth herself is royal — when royal describes a person it means someone who's a queen or king or belongs to a monarch's family. You can also use it sarcastically by saying someone’s a royal pain. No royalty necessary.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But there have been questions about linking the fortunes of royal finances to a buoyant property firm, rather than another index such as inflation.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
The royal treatment he got from Nkrumah couldn’t have contrasted more with what he and other black Americans had experienced over the turbulent times in which they all had lived.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
That might offer reassurance to the Palace, but will annoy critics of royal finances.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
In January 2025 she said she was in remission from cancer, and since then she has been gradually returning to public royal duties.
From Barron's • May 14, 2026
They didn’t get little news, but they got big news, and a royal baby was big news.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
